Ice rinks frozen out at McCarren, Prospect parks

From left: a rendering of Wollman Rink and McCarren Park Pool (credit: Gothamist)

Plans for two Brooklyn ice rinks to open this year have fallen through thin ice, the Brooklyn Paper reported. One of the plans focused on turning Williamsburg’s McCarren Park Pool into a rink. The other proposed ice skating venue is Wollman Rink in Prospect Park, the redevelopment of which has fallen behind schedule.

There are a couple of reasons why McCarren Park won’t be converted into a rink this year. Beyond the $250,000 expense, the executive director of Open Space Alliance of North Brooklyn, a group that campaigned for the rink, stepped down this fall. The Alliance has vowed to try to bring ice skating to McCarren Park next winter.

As for Wollman Rink, the $74 million project is behind schedule. The project, which broke ground in 2010, was slated to be complete this year. According to a Prospect Park Alliance spokesperson, opening a temporary rink was considered, but would cost $500,000. Instead, the group decided to focus on finishing the renovation for winter 2013. [Brooklyn Paper]